Fluid ceilings for hydrapulpers



Oct. 30, 1956 C. J. KROGE L FLUID CEILINGS FOR HYDRAPULPERS Filed Dec. 3, 1954 United States Patent FLUID QEILINGS FORHYDRAPULPERS Christopher J. Krogel, Cranford, N. J., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 3, 1954, Serial No. 472,800

1 Claim. (Cl. 92-46) This invention relates to mixing receptacles and particularly to means for confining the materials being mixed therein.

In the manufacture of certain types of telephone cables, the wires thereof are provided with an insulating covering formed of wood pulp which is initially beaten in units known as Hydrapulpers. In general structure a Hydrapnlper is a large cylindrical tank or receptacle having an open top and at the bottom, a driven, wheellike element with fin-like structures to tear the pulp into minute pieces and mix it thoroughly with Water. During operation of a Hydrapnlper, a given quantity of water is directed into the receptacle after which large bundles of pulp are dropped into the water through the open top. After a suitable time additional water is mixed with the pulp before the mixture is drained or otherwise removed from the receptacle during continued rotation of the wheel. During each cycle of operation, particularly while dropping bundles of pulp into the receptacle and near the end of the draining process, portions of the pulp may be splattered over the surrounding area on floors, ceilings, walls and other adjacent structures and also on any workers who may be in the area.

The object of the invention is to eliminate these undesirable conditions without interfering with the feeding of material to the receptacle.

With this and other objects in view, the invention comprises a fluid supply for an open top material mixing receptacle with means to form a ceiling for the receptacle of the fluid.

In the present embodiment of the invention, water under pressure is supplied from a main line to auxiliary lines to which nozzle-like units are adjustably attached to direct substantially flat, diverging sprays of the water in slanted overlapping positions to permit material to be dropped through the ceiling and into the receptacle but to prevent material from splashing out of the receptacle.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a receptacle embodying the invention a portion thereof being broken away;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of one of the auxiliary lines illustrating one of the units;

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of one of the auxiliary lines illustrating the substantially flat overlapping sprays of the group of the units.

In the present embodiment of the invention, a cylindrical receptacle is a portion of a commercially known Hydrapnlper having an open top 11 and the conventional rotary wheel (not shown) disposed within the tank or receptacle adjacent the bottom thereof with fins or other structures capable of beating or separating the pulp into small particles in a given quantity of water. The initial 2,768,559 Patented Oct. 30, 1956 quantity of water, or any desired portion thereof, may be added to the receptacle through a nozzle 14 of a valve 15, connected through a pressure control unit 16 to a main supply line 17, through which water under a given pressure is fed. It will be noted by viewing Figs. 1 and 2, that the supply line 17 extends upwardly about the adjacent flange of the open upper end 11 of the receptacle to position a portion 18, which is interposed between the pressure regulating unit 16 and the valve 15, at a given location below the open top 11 of the receptacle.

In the present embodiment of the invention, auxiliary fluid lines 20 and 21 are connected through couplings 22 and 23 to the portion 18 of the main supply. The auxiliary lines 20 and 21 extend arcuately adjacent the inner wall of the receptacle to positions substantially diametrically opposite their starting ends where they are closed by caps 24 which may be removed for cleaning purposes if desired. Brackets 25 secured to the inner wall of the receptacle and disposed at spaced positions serve to support the auxiliary lines 20 and 21. The lines 20 and 21 each have a plurality of threaded openings 27 (Fig. 3) to receive What are known as street elbows 28. Another street elbow 29 is mounted in each of the elbows 28 as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 and commercially known spraying units 30 are mounted in the elbows 29.

This structure is defined as adjustable not from the viewpoint that it is necessary to repeatedly or frequently make adjustments thereof but to permit various initial adjustments to accomplish the most desirable result. All adjustments are made with consideration toward the de- "ice sired position for each unit 30. The first adjustment may be at the connection of the streetelbow 28 with its respective fluid line 21 permitting rocking adjustment about the center line of the aperture 27 to position the nozzle or unit 34} relative to the vertical center line of the receptacle 10. The next adjustable feature is the connection between the street elbows 28 and 29 permitting rocking movement of the elbow 29 to move the center line of the unit 30 through an arc to direct it upwardly, into a horizontal plane or downwardly at a desired angle therefrom. The unit 30 includes a nozzle portion 31 having a flat type outlet 32 adjustably held in the main portion 30 by a threaded nut 33. The structure of the unit permits rocking of the nozzle portions 31 to tilt the outlet 32 into any desired angular position with respect to the center line of the unit so that sprays of fluid, such as water under pressure may be directed at any desired angle relative to the center line of the receptacle and which will widen into variable angles after leaving the unit.

An annular apron 35 fixed to the flanged open end 11 of the receptacle covers the top of the wall of the receptacle 10 and the area of the receptacle between the inner surface of the receptacle 10 and the auxiliary lines 20 and 21, which are the portions not covered by the sprays from the units 30. The apron 35 also covers or overlies the auxiliary pipes 20 and 21 and the units 30, as may be seen by reference to Fig. 1. The preferred positions of the units 30 are at slight angles downwardly directed at the vertical center line in the receptacle a given distance below the plane of the open top thereof.

During the normal function of the receptacle which, in the present instance, is a Hydrapnlper, the aforementioned wheel (not shown) is driven continuously while the initial quantity of the water under pressure is directed into the receptacle. This may be done through the assistance of the valve 15, directing also fluid under pressure to the auxiliary lines 20 and 21 to form a ceiling of water spray under a sufficiently high pressure and at angles to prevent any portions of the contents of the receptacle from escaping through the open top. The numerous portions of the pulp in the receptacle which would splash out of the receptacle during normal operation of the Hydrapulper would strike the fluid ceiling and be forced back into the receptacle. This is true also during adding of the dry pulp to the receptacle or Hydrapulper. Large quantities of the pulp may be dropped into the receptacle and this action. normally Would cause portions of the material in the receptacle or Hydrapulper to splash out and over the surrounding area but such results would be eliminated due to the fluid ceiling of the high pressure sprays. The fluid ceiling does not interfere with the material being dropped into the receptacle and this action is so rapid that there isv no splashing of the fluid externally of the receptacle. The initial provision of substantially flat sprays for each unit and the angular overlapping relationship of these sprays is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5, permit the water under force in each spray to travel undisturbed until it approaches the center of the ceiling area where the particles of water in the numerous sprays will unite in completing the solid downwardly dished ceiling over the receptacle.

The fluid, namely the Water, used in forming the ceiling over the receptacle is not wasted, nor does it affect the function of the Hydrapulper. It may constitute all or a part of what is called make-up and Wash-out quantities of Water used in the normal Hydrapulping process. All of the Water used for a given quantity of dry pulp is not used during the initial make-up process, that is, during the initial breaking up of the pulp. Of the initial quantity of water, a given portion thereof may be utilized in forming the fluid ceiling over the receptacle and the continued or subsequent quantity of water necessary in forming the fluid ceiling may be a part of the added or wash-out supply of water. As a result, the fluid ceiling is composed of the fluid namely water which is to be mixed with the material which, in the present instance, is wood pulp.

It is to be understood that the above described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

In a Hydrapulper having a circular open top to receive quantities of pulp, a main supply line for fluid under pressure extending to the Hydrapulper, an auxiliary line for the fluid under pressure extending substantially around the open top, disposed adjacent the outer extremities of the open top and connected to the main supply permit dropping of the quantities of pulp therethrough,

to otherwise close the open top of the Hydrapulper and deflect particles, splashing upwardly toward the open top of the Hydrapulper, back into the Hydrapulper, and an annular peripheral apron mounted on the open top of the Hydrapulper and covering said units.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 389,760 Norton, Jr. Sept. 18, 1888 690,504 Wurster Jan. 7, 1902 1,529,204 Morterud d. Mar. 10, 1925 2,309,036 Beardsley Jan. 19, 1943 2,683,626 Wahlin July 13, 1954 2,723,196 Forrest Nov. 8, 1955 OTHER REFERENCES Root et a1. Theory and Practice of the Dilts-Cowles Hydrapulper Pages 922 and 924 of The Paper Industry and Paper World, December, (1941) Copy in the Scientifio Library. 

